It's Dirty Politics Time In Longwood Election

Seminole

LONGWOOD — From mysterious telephone messages to ''Gestapo'' tactics, it's election showtime in a town known for dirty politics.

Both incumbents and challengers on the Tuesday ballot complain about dirty and unfair tactics being used to keep them out of office. Even the American Civil Liberties Union has gotten into the act.

One of the hardest hit by the political warfare has been incumbent City Commissioner Jeff Morton. Last week, about six of Morton's $45 signs were spray-painted with words unfit for 2 Live Crew lyrics.

And then there was the anonymous message left in a hoarse-sounding voice on Morton's telephone answering machine: ''I don't think you should run for the commission. Don't run.''

Morton said this year's race has sunk to a new low - even for Longwood.

''It's bad for the city. It's bad for everybody,'' Morton said.

Although Morton complains about junior-high pranks, challengers Paul Lovestrand and Gary Hefter complain that city officials have used Gestapo-like tactics against them.

For instance, Longwood police knocked on Lovestrand's door in September to let him know that he was illegally distributing campaign fliers in residents' driveways.

''It's reminiscent of Nazi Germany,'' Lovestrand said.

The ACLU came to Lovestrand's aid and helped him challenge the city's stance. Acting Longwood City Attorney Frank Kruppenbacher said candidates could in fact throw information in driveways and yards, as long as they do not land at the house of someone who has previously complained about getting certain unsolicited fliers.

On Wednesday, about 40 protesters handed out literature and encouraged motorists to honk their horns if they were tired of the high taxes that have been approved by incumbents. The group also waved brooms and urged a clean sweep of City Hall incumbents.

And then there is the matter of political signs on public property. The city's laws prohibit signs on rights of way, which generally run several feet next to the roadside. But the City Commission has unofficially waived that ordinance, as long as the signs do not create a visual hazard.

Lovestrand said he did not want police showing up at his door again, so he asked the city for written permission to forego the ordinance and put his signs in the right of way.

City Clerk Don Terry wrote a memo clearing the way for Lovestrand to put his signs on public property. But City Administrator Mike Abels did not sign it. Abels said he could not sign it until he cleared it with the city attorney.

Meanwhile, Lovestrand said, the incumbents have been planting signs in the rights of way while challengers feared they would be fined or arrested.

Abels said the city could enforce the law, but he is not going to send his people out to measure right-of-way distances to determine what is on public property and what is on private.

When the city gets a complaint about a sign blocking the street view, Abels said the city asks candidates to remove the signs.

Longwood Police Chief Greg Manning said that sometimes the city has to enforce the spirit of the law instead of the letter of the law. ''If we went by the letter of the law, then nobody would be walking the streets and everybody would be in jail,'' he said.